7 Reasons Not to Let the Government Educate Your Child - Reason #5

Today’s post will be shorter than the others.  Not because this reason is less important, but I don’t feel like there would be much debate about this.

When I was in high school, classes started at 7:30 am.  I typically got to school at about 7:10 ish.  To get there on time, I was usually picked up at my bus stop at 6:40 am.  To get to my bus stop on time I had to wake up at about 6:00 am.  Believe it or not, but most school-aged kids simply aren’t very awake for their first class - and usually their second.  So why have it so early?  Since school is so inefficient (See Reason #2) you have to start pretty early to get kids home by 3 pm.  Parents work, kids go to school, then they reconvene at home and, unless sports, cheerleading, or videogames get in the way, perhaps the family can spend a few hours before its time for bed (unfortunately, this quality time is both shrinking, and being eroded by TV time where the family members don’t speak too much to one another outside of commercial breaks).

But what about the parents who don’t work 9-5?  If I worked 3-12am (as I often used to do) and my wife worked outside of the home (as she used to do) what is the public school going to do?  Nothing.  In that circumstance, I would be left forced to send away my children during the day.  Since someone would have to be around to take care of the kids later in the day, my wife would have to work during the day as well.  By the time I go to work, I’ve spent my day alone, and by the time I get home the house is asleep, the children having lived a functionally fatherless life.  

Homeschooling fixes this.  If I have the children with me, then even in this undesirable situation, at least the kids are spending time with Daddy.  We can do 3 hours worth of school, and the rest is play time.  When Mommy comes home, she does 3 hours worth of school, and the rest is play time.  The burden of school is shared between both parents, and the joy of fun is shared between both parents, even if (a mighty shame) the parent’s have little time together.

The point is that with homeschooling, the burden can be shared, and the schedule can be flexible.  I work Saturdays, but I get Thursdays off.  In public school my children would have to go to school Thursday.  Homeschooling allows us to, at the drop of a hat, give us the option either to allot me with teaching for that day, or to simply take the day off as a weekend day.  If I want to teach at night and enjoy the day together, I can.  If we agree to sleep in until 11 am and start at Noon, that is an option.  There is another major facet to this, but that will have to wait for a later post.